Senate Elections: ECP Issues Final List For Fed Capital, FATA

Islamabad (February 22, 2018): Election Commission of Pakistan has released on Thursday the final list of candidates of Federal Capital and FATA for the up coming senate elections.

According to the details, there will be six candidates for two federal capital seats. For General seats there are four candidates to contest the polls, while for one technocrat seat there will be two candidates to contest the elections.

On General seat, PPP’s Raja Imran Ashraf, PTI’s Kanwal Shozab, and two independent candidates Choudhry Atif and Asad Junejo will be contesting elections, while on technocrat seat Raja Shakeel and Mushahid Hussain Syed are the contenders.Election Commission of Pakistan has also announced the list for FATA. According to the details, there will be 24 candidates for four senate seats.

The four PPP candidates Jangrez Khan, Akhunzada Chatan, Shubaan Ali and Farhad Shabab will be contesting against independent candidates.

Earlier, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday banned Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) from contesting Senate elections on their party ticket, however they can contest the elections as an independent candidates.

According to the details, in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s verdict disqualifying deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the party chief, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the party’s nominees can contest the upcoming Senate polls as independent candidates.

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The decision was taken by the ECP during a special session called by the chief election commissioner, who had also taken the chair of the session. The body acted under instructions from the apex court.

ECP dismissed ruling PMLN’s petition pertaining to issuance of new tickets. However, candidates of PMLN can contest Senate polls in independent capacity and if selected, they (PMLN candidates) wouldn’t be allowed to express adherence to their respective party.The election body further said that Senate polls will be held as per schedule.

Earlier today, PMLN issued new party tickets to candidates for the upcoming Senate elections.

The tickets were awarded by party’s Chairman Raja Zafar-ul-Haq.

Raja Zafar-ul-Haq along with other party leaders visited Election Commission of Pakistan today and submitted papers of party candidates for the Senate elections.

Later, talking to the media, PML-N Chairman Raja Zafar-ul-Haq said the party chairman or president has the discretion to issue party tickets. He said consultations are underway to fill the position of party president.The move came a day after the Supreme Court ruled that a disqualified politician cannot lead a political party, ordering the removal of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as head of the country’s ruling party.

The apex court announced its verdict on petitions challenging the Elections Act 2017 on Wednesday, ruling that a person disqualified under Article 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party.

The decision by the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar is being considered as another blow to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N). As a result of the verdict, all decisions taken by Nawaz as PML-N’s president were declared null and void.

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Elections Act 2017 was pushed through the upper and lower houses of the parliament earlier and had paved the way for Nawaz to resume his position as party president after being disqualified in the Panama Papers case.

The verdict announced earlier also ruled that “all steps taken, orders passed, directions given and documents issued, by Nawaz after the July 28 verdict will be deemed to be nullified”.

As a consequence, Senate tickets distributed by Nawaz also stood null and void.